Quality framework for the fashion industry

Develop a quality framework for sustainable and circular fashion

Fashion brand Xandres is developing a quality framework for fashion products together with VITO and Flanders DC. That framework should ensure that the fashion industry becomes more sustainable and circular by encouraging entrepreneurs to opt for products with a long lifespan that can be reused or recycled afterwards.

The production of textiles is a burden on the environment. It requires a lot of water and unhealthy chemicals are often still used in the production process. Moreover, fast-fashion is gaining popularity. An average European throws away 11 kg of textiles every year. To reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry, extending lifespan has the greatest effect in the short term. Research shows that this can be done mainly by focusing on higher-quality textiles and quality. When the lifespan of textiles is longer and raw materials can be reused, the whole industry can become more sustainable. Unfortunately, the quality of yarn and production has generally declined and the fashion industry today lacks workable standards to measure, compare and improve quality. 

In the 'Quality framework for the fashion industry' project, fashion brand Xandres, research organisation VITO and the organisation for fashion and design companies Flanders DC are developing a framework to objectify the quality of fashion products. Fashion companies will thus be given clear criteria to make better design and purchase choices and pursue high(er) quality. The project results will be tested at Xandres, before being translated into a general tool for the Flemish (and by extension European) fashion sector. 

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